" Buttermere ~ First Walk Back"

Date & start time: 3rd December 2011, 12 noon start.

Location of Start : The NT car park, Buttermere, Cumbria, Uk ( NY 143 211 )

Places visited : The tunnel, Hassness Woods, Gatesgarth, Burtness Woods and back.

Walk details : 4.8 mls, nominal 300 ft of ascent, 2 hrs 25 mins.

Highest point : Being out . . . then being 'in' with a soup and a pint at the end !

Walked with : Jo, John, Ann and the dogs, Jodie, Polly, Harry and Bethan.

Weather : Forecasted 50mph winds and snow failed to materialise down here in the valley.

Busy though we are after our holidays, we haven't forgotten the beauty of the Lakes

and Saturday brings the 'A Team' together again for a weekend walk.

The weather is a little less than perfect, and the forecast even worse, so we opt for a low level walk round Buttermere.

Grey skies as seen from the house just before the walk confirmed that a low level walk would be good.

With the amount of rain this week the high paths and fells would be quite wet, so the drier footpath round the lake seemed a good idea too.

The 'A Team' back in action after a month or so away from the fells (for us at least)

Jo had been up a couple of times and John lives here of course so he has a walk most days, if only for Polly's sake.

We parked at the National Trust car park and set off towards the village passing Crag House Farm along the way.

They have a camping barn and a self catering holiday cottage if anyone is interested in staying in the village.

Syke Farm in the village has a new tearoom in recent years and makes amazing local ice creams.

However on a cool day in December it was shut as there are less folk about than in the summer months.

Extra winter feed for the sheep.

We had decided on a clockwise circuit of the lake, so our view across the valley at this point included the Sour Milk Gill waterfall.

Jodie catching the limelight as the flash illuminates the woodland path.

It turns out that John had never actually walked this side of the lake so the woodland path was even more pleasing as it was a new route for him.   There was no way he was going to get lost as he had his new Garmin Montana Gps to hand.   Full O.S. mapping and a brilliant reception even in the woods, the Gps tracked him every inch of the way.   I can't complain at him proudly showing off his new Montana as I had only just sold it to him a few days before !!!   [ Bonus: Today he has a free training session as well as a walk ]

Through a gap in the trees, a clear view of Haystacks.

The waterfall on Warnscale Beck was in full flow after the recent rains.

Surprising who you bump into on walks sometimes . . .

Andrew Leaney was also walking the lake but in the opposite direction to us.

We reach the tunnel which takes us on the path through the rocky outcrop just prior to Dalegarth and Hassness House.

The strong breeze was forming a few waves on the beach.

A panorama of the head of Buttermere with a distant view of the Pines.

Fleetwith Pike is the pointed fell to the centre left and Haystacks the crinkly one to the right.

I hold back as the others gain the road just short of the Pines.

They've suffered in the gales of recent years but efforts have been made to replant some new ones.

Gatesgarth Farm now and there's a colourful display in the yard.

Mr Richardson of Gatesgarth is busy with his winter ewes.

The colours are a combination of farm marking, and tup markings after the sheep have been put to the ram.

When we see these colours we know the new farming year has started.

Leaving the farm and crossing the valley

we get a close up of Haystacks as we cross Warnscale Beck using "Peggy's Bridge".

Just above the lake path we see the small footbridge has been replaced.

I understand, though we haven't had it confirmed, that the landslide at the top side of the woods has been shored up and the path reinstated.

It was the landslip, and the subsequent rush of water and rubble, that demolished this lower footbridge two years ago.

More Buttermere sheep . . . these are dressed in the more classic brown ruddle colour.

Perhaps they were entered in one of the Autumn agricultural shows recently.

Half way down the other side now and Harry and Bethan enjoy a quick dip in the cold water.

[ No photograph this time but regards to Hugh and Sue, Loweswatercam viewers who we met as we walked along this side of the lake. ]

Down by the outflow of the lake . . . no National Trust Land Rover over by the far gate today.

This has been a popular walk today with loads of people reaching the same conclusion as us presumably . . . stay low.

The classic Fleetwith Pike view from the bottom of the lake.

The fence gate has finally succumbed to the ravages of the water and the stones from Sour Milk Gill.

Looking up through bare trees.	More lunchtime walkers.

Back in the village, the Fish Inn is open for business as usual.

However changes are a-foot . . .

Croft House Farm has been sold and the Staggs have left to continue farming north of the border.

The tearooms are having a make-over and the summer season will see new owners running the cafe.

The Bridge Hotel is also open

so today we opt for a bowl of warming winter soup and a sandwich . . . inside !

Good News . . . the hotel policy has changed and they now allows dogs into the downstairs bar,

and once again have several rooms within the hotel that are dog friendly.

Before we moved up we used to stay at The Bridge a lot with our dogs and enjoyed our stay at this classic hotel every time.

Perhaps this change of policy may allow more people to take advantage of their hospitality.

- - - o o o - - -

Technical note: Pictures taken with either Ann's Fuji T300 Compact or my Canon G10 digital camera.

Resized in Photoshop, and built up on a Dreamweaver web builder.

This site best viewed with . . . a warming bowl of soup after our first walk back in the Lakes

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